Audio Book Review: Trinkets, Treasures, and Other Bloody Magic by Meghan Ciana Doidge

Trinkets, Treasures, and Other Bloody Magic by Meghan Ciana Doidge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book started right into action. I really liked this, though I thought the book was going to go another direction with this beginning. And we ended up somewhere else. So I hope these people we meet at the beginning will return (likely since we met them) in the future.

I love the interaction Jade has with everyone. We have our returning friends, Scarlett, Kett, Kandy, Desmond, and Gran. Along with a few others. ;) And we have a new face that I'm surprised at how she interacts with Jade. I actually love it because they both need someone who understands where they are emotionally at this time. (I'm going to reference the ending of book 1 here so you know, but if you haven't read, you don't get a spoiler.)

There's more going on with that debt bond....and will there be troubles with others? Oh this is interesting.

THE ENDING!! Gaaaaaaahh! Really!?!?! Why do this to me? Us? lol. I'm just so so glad that the next book is available because I am diving in as soon as I'm done typing this up. I knew there was something big with Jade's father. I did not think that. I loooooooove this! But, how we end. What about everyone?!?!

These books flow nicely in the writing and events. However, there was a distraction that I didn't understand happening. It didn't seem to fit for me. And then later everyone wants Jade to do something though she really doesn't want to. Then she finally decides to go. I didn't care for everyone fluffing her thoughts off here. Jade usually stands up for herself, but in these moments she isn't heard by others. I'm hoping others will start to listen to her more as she learns more about her magic in time.

Okay. Off to book 3. Because of reasons. (When you get here, you'll understand. So have book 3 sitting there waiting for you.)

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Book Review: A Wild Kind of Darkness by Skyla Dawn Cameron

A Wild Kind of Darkness by Skyla Dawn Cameron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Skyla has turned this fantasy reader into a mystery, fiction reader.

Wow. I was super invested in this book for the characters and the cold case.

The books first draw for me was Waverly trying to get in to see the person she found at the end of the last book. (I don't want to give anything away!) She's as patient as she can be. I love Waverly because she's a damaged character with her own baggage, and trying to not sound like a creepy stalker. As we get to see this person, I am completely invested in what they have to share, offer, and how they are doing. Will they make it?

While we are waiting for hospital visitation times, we have a person who comes to Waverly with a cold case of a family member. The family was never allowed to speak of an aunt that was murdered with her boyfriend. It was too hard on the father. So, now that the father's passed away (of natural causes) the family would like to get some information on the case. Waverly accepts it, expecting to not really find anything with the age of the case.

I really enjoyed how Waverly found who she wanted to talk with and the "chats" they had. Waverly has a direct fashion about her and this makes for fun interactions. But, things start happening around Waverly. She finds another dead body. She's attacked. She puts it all together in the end. Great ending for this cold case! I had the twinges of thoughts, but didn't go that path so it was a nice surprise to see the ending. And the details are in the book, a couple of times, to fit with this ending.

There is also the over all elephant in the room... What happened to Meadow's body? Where's the murderer? This book doesn't give many details on it but we all have it in the back of our minds. We are waiting for our newest character to remember anything that happened to them...and maybe what could lead to Meadow's body. This is the mystery of the series arc, and I am looking forward to learning more as Waverly shares thoughts and bounces ideas off our new secondary character. I can't wait!

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Audio Book Review: Cupcakes, Trinkets, and other Deadly Magic by Meghan Ciana Doidge

Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic by Meghan Ciana Doidge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an urban fantasy read I really enjoyed. It has it's own personality, with the cupcake shop Jade (our main Female character) owns. And we have the classical pieces in it with werewolves or pack, vampire, and underpowered potentially more character that's learning all sorts of things.

It's a fun read with learning, betrayal, and more.

I love that Jade has her own thing that she does because she loves it and to relax, baking. Jade has her own personality. She knows who she is and is a little sassy when she's in tight positions, a reflex for her to stay calm. She is half witch and knows she's under powered. But things happen and people see other things. This book is from Jade's POV but we get the feel from what others say that there's more here, more to Jade.

There are murders happening and the leads the vampire, Kett, and were pack to Jade...because of the trinkets that are what she makes. Buuuut, there's something off about them. Someone's using her trinkets in these murders.

Jade is pulled into the dynamic of Kett along with Hudson and Desmond (pack). While searching for who the killer is, Jade will start to question who she is magically. She just attracts magical items, that's all. Right? Who's her father?

As things go along, things get darker and darker. Jade's unwilling to go along with the investigations, but she does because she feels a little responsible when her trinkets are found with the dead. With going along, Jade expands, learns, and grows in her strength and curiosity.

Who's behind all these deaths?
Sure, I saw who it was early on. But it didn't deter from the book for me. I really loved Jade and her interactions with everyone along with the actions of the story.

The writing flows nicely through the book, events leading to events along with leading us to who and why.

The audiobook is nice too. I found it easy to listen to and liked the narrators voice.

Will I continue the series? ABSOLUTELY! I already downloaded the next three books!

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Audio Book Review: Mind over Magic by Lindsay Buroker

Mind over Magic by Lindsay Buroker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fun listen for me. Morgen is out of her element, way out, and on an adventure. She's not backing down.

Morgen has inherited her grandmother's home and land just in time after going through her divorce and losing her job. The plan, to clean up the house and maybe sell it. When she arrives with her vizsla dog (I love this as I have a half vizsla dog!) Lucky, she's roughly greeted by a werewolf who threatens her. He's here to protect the land and Wolf Wood, that has magical properties. But when she gets to the house...she finds at her grandmothers... It's nothing like she expected. There's all sorts of witchy items, body parts in jars, old books, and wands. Wands around the root cellar.

Morgen is definitely out of her element with magic, witches, werewolves, and what else maybe lurking in the area. She's a tech person. But she has the family touch. She's a bit shy and even scared of everything. But she's not one to back down when she's pushed. And she gets pushed. Amar has become one of the few that helps her, and even protects her in time of need. She wants to help him too, for all he's done for her and not had to.

Morgen has to figure out what she wants to do. Is there a home to go back to? Or keep the land and stay?

Morgen has made a few enemies. But she's made one good friend. He'll help her and protect her. And I'm thinking this will bloom into something far more than friendship.

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Audio Book Review: Dark Arts and a Daiquiri by Annette Marie

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri by Annette Marie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a relaxing series for me to enjoy.

Tori's a bartender in a mage guild's club. She's human and really shouldn't be here. But she's found the place and seems to fit in with the members. She's making some great friends.

This book is about Tori. We see more of her past with her family. She's got some history that she's had to work through and it surfaces with the case the guys, Aaron, Kai, and Ezra, ask her to help with. A young girl that was missing previously, is now bumped up to a true job to find her as she's suspected to have been taken by The Hungry Ghost. And The Ghost is powerful.

Tori doesn't seem to have boundaries in what she does. She steps into some trouble because she thinks maybe she can help this young girl, because no one came to help her. Tori pretends to have an ability, but she's just human. However, there are times I wonder if she's got a drop of something to her.

In her...trouble...Tori pushes and gets closer to The Ghost. This is interesting! He's interesting.

I had a feeling the story would turn as it did. (I can't say more, if you're curious you'll have to check it out!) And the big battle at the end, nice.

Tori has a way of making friends with so many. And her apartment roommate. lol. That's going to be fun!

I liked how this ended and look forward to seeing her as a stronger person in the coming books. :)

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